


Before Dawn

by Luthien



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-10-04
Updated: 2007-10-04
Packaged: 2017-10-14 18:45:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/152311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthien/pseuds/Luthien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens before dawn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Written for mcsmooch.

It's just short of 0400 when they finally get back, both of them having barely enough energy left to strip out of their singed uniforms before they collapse into bed.

Rodney flops on his stomach, his head planted face-down in the pillow. He grumbles an objection that doesn't appear to be made up of actual words as John pushes him over to make enough room. Rodney winds up on his side with John spooned up behind him, and he's already snuffling gently as John turns off the lamp.

John stares into the darkness, still wide awake. He's exhausted, so tired he can't sleep, hyper-aware of every shadow in the room, and every sound, as the events of the day relentlessly play themselves out over and over in his mind. He shakes his head, trying to let go, trying to-

Rodney sighs in his sleep, his back moving beneath John's stubbled cheek - he's needed a shave since yesterday, or technically the day before. He should-

John takes a deep breath, inhaling the smell of Rodney and sweat and smoke, the echo of the fire still clinging to his skin. John's hand slips down, stroking along Rodney's side and coming to rest on his hip. John manages to close his eyes now, feeling the tension coiled inside him start to unwind. He breathes in again, breathes Rodney in, and the knots in his shoulders start to relax. It's only been a week since they started this, sleeping together through the night, but it's already as familiar and easy - easing - as something years in the making.

 _This is always the best part of the day._ He could say that. But he doesn't. Instead, he turns his face against the middle of Rodney's back and presses a kiss there.

 _I don't want to be anywhere else._ His lips drift up to the nape of Rodney's neck. He could whisper the words into Rodney's skin right here. No one would ever know. He leaves a kiss there instead, just a soft imprint of lips and tongue, invisible to everyone but John.

 _You're my favourite person._ He doesn't even consider saying that one outside his own head. He lets his mouth ghost across Rodney's back, lets his upper lip drag ever so slightly along Rodney's shoulder, lets his teeth scrape gently as they travel over the curve and down to the shoulder blade-

"Ow!" Rodney says, and rolls over on to his back, arm snaking out to slam the lamp switch on and flood the room with sudden light.

"Hey!" John says, dazzled and doing his best to pull his arm free from where it's pinned to the bed beneath Rodney.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rodney demands.

"I was just..." John lets his voice trail off. He's too tired to be able to end that sentence carefully.

"You bit me," Rodney says through gritted teeth.

"What? No, I didn't bite you!"

"There were teeth!" Rodney pulls himself up on his elbows and glowers down at John.

"It's called nibbling, McKay. Some people even find it kinda sexy."

"Nibbling is sexy, yes, when it's done right. That wasn't nibbling. I could feel your teeth sinking into my skin. You've probably drawn blood!"

"There's no blood," John says, and now he's the one gritting his teeth. "I didn't sink my teeth in. I just... nibbled."

"I know what I felt!"

"I know what I did!"

They lie there, glaring at each other in silence for a long, long moment, and slowly all the annoyance bleeds out of John until all that's left is exhaustion.

"Look, I-" John tries, and all the words he's never said are waiting on the tip of his tongue. "Oh, hell," he says, and hauls Rodney in close so he can kiss him properly. Rodney doesn't resist but simply kisses him back, wet, warm lips moving hard against John's and taking over everything. Rodney pulls back after a bit, but only so he can press a string of tiny kisses from one corner of John's mouth to the other. He catches John's lower lip between his own, pulling at it gently before sucking it into his mouth. Rodney's lips keep moving over and over, mixing in tongue and the barest hint of teeth now, and John's breath catches in the back of his throat, his hands coming up to clutch the sides of Rodney's face.

And that's when Rodney sinks his teeth in.

"Ow!" John jerks back. "What was that for?" He wipes his hand over his lip, checking for blood just in case.

"Just nibbling," Rodney says airily.

John hits him upside the head for that, but not all that hard. And when Rodney starts in again a moment later, scattering little kisses along John's jaw, John can't help but press in closer and get in a few more kisses of his own.

They've never done this before, just lain here like kids, making out endlessly. Neither of them is up for anything more right now, but still, it's sort of nice, so:

"This is nice," John says.

Rodney smiles at that, understanding and a flash of something else lighting up his face, but:

"Yes. Yes, it is," is all he says, before pulling John in for another kiss.


End file.
